One advertisement, one image and a ton to talk about.

I know I’m a bit late discussing this, but I just had to eventually because it’s got so many things going on around it: I’m talking about the 2010 Pam and Tim Tebow advertisement for Focus on the Family that was aired during the Super Bowl.

In case you missed it the first billion times about Tebow:-

• His parents are missionaries
• He’s going to remain a virgin until he’s married
• He wants to eventually become a minister
• He’s a devout Christian

Now that that’s in the open and it’s known that the advertisement is directly in line with Tim Tebow and his beliefs system, think about the implications of an advertisement because of who it is for.

Meaning?

Focus on the Family is actually a right-winged, extremely socially conservative Evangelical Christian organization (source).

Is it smart or stupid for Tebow to have aligned himself with such and organization and furthermore, should he have?

Smart or stupid, well that’s up for debate and a matter of many opinions.

It’s smart in one sense because he’s reinforcing who he is and what he’s about. But it’s rather stupid on the other end because he’s walking into a defined territory. In the country that we live in and call home, the United States of America, our society is very dedicated to their beliefs systems, no matter which side of the tracks they fall on and by Tebow pushing himself solidly into one court, he’s probably alienating quite a few of his followers/fans.

That being said, aligning himself with a controversial and extreme organization isn’t ideal either, simply because while he’s a down to earth kind of guy, and the advertisement itself isn’t anything mind-blowing (in fact, it’s a boring 30-seconds), the fact of the matter is — he isn’t the organization, but could be seen as such.

He isn’t the organization also holds true on the opposite end. It could be said he’s just standing up for what he believes in regardless of who is backing him.

Smart? Stupid? Who knows…

But should he have even done this to begin with?

Yes and no.

Yes, because he is standing up for his own moral conviction, portraying something wholesome and standing as a good role model to the younger kids that admire him…and that’s the problem. The kids that admire him will be looking that the values and morals specifically laid out on the table by Tim Tebow. Without any guidance and the knowledge of the other side, those young people can fall into a train of thought blindly and irrationally giving no contemplation to the circumstances of women who find themselves raped, victims of incest etc.

Because let’s face it and be real — not all high school footballers come from the background that Tebow does. For a lot of them, sports is their way “out” of the family situations they were born into as well as the terrible neighborhoods they come from. I hate to generalize, but it’s the truth.

So the entire situation is a doubled-edged sword and when you’re in a  position to be an example to impressionable young minds, what do you do?

The thing is, at the end of the day, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, God-fearing or an atheist, Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal — you have to admire Tebow for his conviction, morals and classy behaviour in representing what he believes in.

And that my friends, regardless of your opinions on the matter itself, it is great brand management.

• Obviously, the advertisement is perfectly aligned with Tim Tebow, the person, and that’s a matter of personal choice. But on the professional end, is it appropriate for “Tim Tebow,” the star athlete?

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Sasha Muradali runs the ‘Little Pink Book’ . She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Florida with a minor in Dance (’07) and an M.A. in International Administration from the University of Miami (’08). She loves Twitter and all things social media, so you should find her @SashaHalima or get a copy of the ‘Little Pink Book’ delivered to your Kindle.

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